So Very Beautiful
by marcellus
Summary: Soon after the boys are rescued off the island, and then a few years after that. Please R&R!CHAPTER 3 UP!
1. Dreams

Disclaimer: I own none of Lord of the Flies.

However, the story is mine. Take it and ye shall pay.

Only the first chapter more is coming soon. Please rate as it is my first being posted up.

* * *

"What would you do, if I sang out of tune?

Would you stand up and walk out on me?"

* * *

"Kids' names. Why should I be Jack? I'm Merridew."

Ralph turned over in his sleep, disturbed by the sudden chill in this strangely dreamless night. The voice rang in his ears, back and forth, and then away.

"Boys armed with sticks."

He turned over again, back to his original position. Ralph's arm dangled over the side of his bed, a few fingers trailing on the floor. Maybe he would dream after all…

"Who are you, anyway? Sitting there telling people what to do. You can't hunt, you can't sing-"

Ralph's leg subconsciously kicked out and knocked the wall. It did not wake him. Pain was just a part of life now…

* * *

"As if-"

"As if it wasn't a good island."

Maurice lay sprawled in bed, tangled in a mass of sheets and covers. His pillow lay across the room, crumpled in a heap in the corner.

"…maybe it's only us."

Beads of sweat ran down his forehead. His hands gripped pieces of covers. His shirt had a rip, right on the side. A gash, a tear, an imperfection in the fabric.

"After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything."

Bright red alarm clock numbers flashed and lit up Maurice's face. The number changed. So time was passing by, after all.

* * *

"Three blind mice. I'll give up now."

The sea rumbled and sighed. Waves crashed down on the shore, bubbling froth over the rock's edge. The water glittered in the dawn, illuminated by the rising sun. The home on the hill stood still, a majestic castle atop fierce waters.

"Because the rules are the only thing we've got!"

The headlights of a passing car illuminated the ceiling of a room for a mere second.

Flash, and then they were gone. Life … was but a taste of pleasure.

"But, but, he's Jack Merridew!"

A dog howled in a neighboring yard. The wail, piercing and strong, swept across the grass, lost before it reached human ears.

"Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!"

Halfway across the world, ashes flew out to sea, carried by the light breeze. Calm waters sparkled, and waves quietly lapped the shore. The sand was pure and soft, aglow from the setting sun. On the beach lay a stick, discarded long ago, one of the only remaining indications that civilization once dwelled on this island.

…It was sharpened at both ends.

"Earth to earth…"

A handful of younger boys stood in black suits, careful not to make eye contact.

One by one, they came up and dropped a solitary red or yellow flower on gleaming wood or the fresh pile of overturned earth.

A boy with fair blond hair stood looking long after the others were gone.

The leaves in nearby trees rustled, and a single bird flew by overhead.

The sun continued to rise.

"…Ashes to ashes, dust to dust."

The wind continued its journey over the sea.

The breeze suddenly dropped, and the ashes dispersed into the sea.

Scattered, together, they shall be returned to the water.

"…you'll get back all right."

Ralph sighed and pushed the bangs out of his eyes. He turned and started the long walk back home. His lone figure walked away slowly, his shadow long and lean, twisting among the dips of the green cemetery grass.

…It was going to be a long day.


	2. Gromley

Hey everyone! Second chapter here...please R&R!

I wanna know if this story is any good! 'K thanks, on with the second chapter.

* * *

Ralph slowly walked back to the renovated inn from the cemetery, wishing he could have stayed on the island.

"I hate this godforsaken place," he muttered to himself.

"Oh, you mustn't be so overdramatic. It's not all that bad here." A voice called from behind Ralph's shoulder.

Ralph turned around sharply, startled, recognizing the voice.

Hoping to see someone he knew, an old schoolmate friend or teacher, he was faced by a blank face, a strange, cloaked man with graying hair and gray eyes, reflecting the sea's color.

"And who are you, to follow me around like that?" Ralph exclaimed, infuriated. "I am entitled to my privacy!"

"Oh, my apologies," the man said, his eyes glittering. "I thought you would have recognized me. Long time, no see, eh?"

Ralph gazed in wonder at the strange man. He searched his mind. He blinked, and his vision fuzzed.

* * *

A younger man appeared ahead, walking toward Ralph, hands outstretched.

"Ah, I heard you'd be coming today. And how are you? I am Professor Gromley, and I will be the head of your dormitory. Please, follow me."

A younger version of Ralph followed the professor up a set of dank, musty smelling stairs. The man carried a candle, casting dark shadows along the walls.

Ralph wore a tattered pair of pants, and a dark green shirt. His hair was unkempt and unclean, and his bangs kept falling into his eyes. The young boy stumbled along, letting his hand trail over the wall as he went.

The professor wore a long black cloak that swept the floor when he walked. He had brown hair, combed and clean, but too long. He had eyes deep set into face, giving him a closed off appearance. There was always a warm smile on the Professor Gromley's face. He was a cheerful man. It seemed as though nothing could upset him. Gromley was quite a character.

Professor Gromley was an English teacher. He taught Ralph and all his comrades. Ralph was happy to have him as the leader of his dorm. The boys were sometimes entitled to staying up a little longer than allowed when Gromley was feeling peculiarly nice. Professor Gromley soon became Ralph's (and many of the other boys') favorite teacher.

When Ralph learned he was being shipped off because of the war, his school received a letter form his parents. They informed Professor Gromley, and it was his job to tell Ralph. Ralph had been lying on his bed, reading a book for one of his classes. Gromley came in and sat down next to him.

"Ralph…I am afraid I am the bearer of bad news. Your parents have asked for you to be sent off with other boys on a plane which will take you somewhere distant for a while until the war settles down. They are afraid that you may lose your life. You may never see any of us ever again. You have to leave tomorrow morning."

The professor slowly got up and left the room, dropping the letter on the bedstand as he did so, and wiping away the tears settled in his eyes.

A young boy named Ralph looked in wonder at the great man who walked away, and then picked up the leter and started to read.

* * *

"Professor!" Ralph laughed, excitedly, his eyes focusing again, the flashback over. "Is it really you, Professor Gromley? Is it really?"

The professor grinned at the sudden recognition.

"I thought I would never see you again! I thought I was doomed to die on that island, my body rotting on the beach…" Ralph trailed off.

Gromley looked at Ralph with concerned eyes. Something had definitely changed in this young boy's heart.

"Are you being expected anywhere? No? Well then, come and have some tea with me…"

Boy and master reunited, the professor walked back to a small cottage in the distance, Ralph striding along next to him, exchanging words.


	3. The Cottage

_**Disclaimers etc.: **_ _Ok, so I finally finished the third chapter. The fourth one should be up reeeeally soon. Please R&R._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

The cottage was warm and cozy. A fire roared softly in the fireplace, wood crackling. A slight drizzle had begun, and rain gently drummed on the roof. A warm cup of tea was placed in front of Ralph. Steam rose from the cup, swirling into shapeless masses. 

Ralph placed his hands on the table, that table with ridges along its top, and scratches on its legs. A cat meowed somewhere on the floor and brushed itself against a table leg. A stool was pulled back, its feet scraping against the coarse wooden floor.

"So, Ralph…how have you been? It's been a while."

Ralph heaved a huge sigh. "I've been all right…I guess."

* * *

There was along silence. Ralph stared off into space and tried not to think of the island happenings. Simon's voice echoed in Ralph's head, echoing back and forth in his mind. Piggy's grunts and gasps of airs reached Ralph's ears, heard only by him. A painted face with red hair peered at Ralph, specs flashing, wind howling, waves crashing, palms swishing, rocks falling, fires crackling, pigs squealing, boys chanting. The sound of destruction, greed, power, war, a quest for life. 

Ralph covered his ears with his hands. The comforting cottage noises were not comforting anymore, droned out by memories speaking to him. Ralph could not see, could not hear, could not sense. The splintered wood under his fingertips became a handful of sand, water, a rough wooden spear…sharpened at both ends. His breath became rushed and shallow. Ralph's eyes saw black, blackness stretching on forever. His ears heard nothing but the pounding of blood, roaring, and cracking of twigs. But soon, soon, the noise would return, and the boys would be shouting, and the cries piercing.

* * *

Ralph suddenly looked up, silence settled back in. There was the cottage, exactly the way he had left it, his ancient professor's eyes still watching him. 

"Ralph…I believe there are some things that I cannot work out for you. Some things you may have to work out yourself, some things you may have to talk to others with. You cannot ignore others that were trapped on your island with you. No bad can come from talking to any of them. But me, I will still be here to listen and offer any advice I have."

So much had been exchanged with no words. Gromley understood him.

Ralph looked up and let his eyes trail around the cottage. Another silence settled in. The soft drizzle of rain became a steady drumbeat upon the roof. Life was suddenly becoming a little more normal.

* * *

"How did you get to find me, anyway?" Ralph finally asked. 

"Well, after you left, the school was burned down, and mostly everyone got out alive. Thankfully, not everyone had been in the school at that time, and the fire was started in a vacant area. After that, the district would not fund us to help build another school and we certainly didn't have the money. The boys were sent to other schools or home to their parents. Most professors left. I was one of the last to leave, not wanting to let go of the establishment and boys I had devoted my life to. Of course, soon there was no one left, and I packed up and left. I donated our dormitory to the city, and they turned it into a hospital. I traveled around, looking for a job or something of the sort. I stumbled upon this place, and volunteered, as their staff was very limited. Children abandoned by their parents or who didn't have a home came here. We became a sort of shelter. Now, there is not much use for it. But we still have occasional people that come through. We were about to shut down, but you guys came. I saw you at your young friend's funeral and decided to drop by on you later in the day. It happened I just found you as I was going on a walk before the rain came."

"I'm surprised you still remembered me….when I can hardly remember myself."

"A strong statement, Ralph. I'm sure if you search, you'll find parts of you that you still remember. Parts of you that have not changed."

"But not like before. I can never feel like a kid anymore. Never carefree. I know what people will do to each other - even kids like us! Who would have ever thought 11 year olds would go to extremes such as killing peers just as a struggle for power! It would have never crossed my mind. It was so perfect. We were going to have everything we ever wanted…we were going to live in a paradise!"

"Ralph, innocence has to disappear sooner or later. It is tragic that your end had to come sooner, but I'm sure though it will scar you, it may also help you in certain instances of life."

The professor placed his cup of tea down on the table. The sound resonated with a dull 'thwap'.

* * *

Ralph stood up. "Listen, it was great to see you. I have to get dinner and get to bed. I need to figure some things out; I'll come back if I need your advice or anything. I guess I'll see you around." 

Professor Gromley nodded and Ralph slid out of seat. Ralph wasn't going to eat dinner, and he knew it. Ralph was slowly eating himself away, becoming a skeleton. Nothing could save him. He had lost the will to live. He opened the door and slipped outside into the rain silently after a wave to his professor. Ralph's lonely figure walked away, slowly being enveloped by shrouds of mist. And then he was gone.


End file.
